This invention relates to a process for absorbing sulfur oxides from industrial waste gases with a sorbent containing scrubbing liquor and regenerating the sorbent for reuse.
In the combustion of fossil fuels, and in many industrial processes, a serious problem is presented by the combustion of the sulfur-containing components therein. The noxious sulfur oxides produced are an environmental pollutant and in recent years considerable effort has been made to remove the sulfur oxides from the combustion gasses exhausted to the atmosphere. Several methods for removing such oxides are known. One of the processes presently used is wet lime scrubbing. This can either be a slurry process or the so-called dual alkali process. Both of these processes were described at the Environmental Protection Agency sponsored Symposium on Flue Gas Desulfurization, Oct. 28-31, 1980, Houston, Tex.
In some of the existing processes, e.g., the dual alkali process, the sulfite ion is an alkalinity carrier. While oxidation of the sulfite ion to sulfate improves the waste product characteristics, it is detrimental to the SO.sub.2 removal capability. The process of the invention overcomes this difficulty, as well as making several other improvements.